interloper
/ˌɪntəˈləʊ̯pə/
Etymology
From inter- + loper (“runner, rover”), as in landloper (“vagrant”) (from lope (“to leap, to jump”) (originally dialectal)). Originally spelt enterloper and used in specific sense, “unauthorized trader trespassing on privileges of chartered companies”, later general sense of “self-interested intruder” from 1630s.
interloper means one who interferes, intrudes or gets involved where not welcome, particularly a self-interested intruder. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 80 out of 100.
interloper is pronounced /ˌɪntəˈləʊ̯pə/.
Why “interloper” is a great word
INTERLOPER — [Noun] A person who intrudes into a place, situation, or sphere of activity where they are not welcome, particularly for their own gain. From inter- ("between, among") + loper ("runner, rover"), the latter from dialectal lope ("to leap, to jump"). Unlike an "intermediary" (a neutral, invited facilitator) or a "participant" (one with legitimate involvement), the interloper is an unwelcome, self-serving trespass. It is the stranger at the family funeral, the corporate spy in the laboratory, the fox slipping into the henhouse at dusk—the spectral proof that every sanctuary is, to someone, merely a territory to be breached.
noun
- One who interferes, intrudes or gets involved where not welcome, particularly a self-interested intruder.“They disliked the interloper, and forced him to leave.”
- An unlicensed or illegitimate trader.